(Zaman Al Wasl)- The U.S.-backed Syrian forces thwarted Daesh attack in Deir Ezzor province, killing four militants, activists said Saturday.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by the U.S. and French artillery pushed Daesh fighters to retreat from the district of al-Hawama near the town of al-Hajeen, the key stronghold of ISIS near the Iraqi border.
Daesh lost most of its territory in Syria last year, but retained some remote desert areas and has attacked the army and allied forces in recent weeks. The coalition also recently restarted its own campaign against the militant group in Syria.
Meanwhile, 10 families of ISIS members have surrendered to the Kurdish-led forces, who in turn transferred them to the American base in the town of al-Bahra, according to the sources.
In relevant development, Regime-run media reported that the U.S.-led coalition struck army positions in Deir Ezzor on Thursday, but the U.S. military denied knowledge of it.
The strikes caused only material damage and came within 24 hours of a Daesh attack on regime army positions in the same region, SANA reported.
A military media unit run by Lebanon's Hezbollah, an ally of Damascus, said the strikes were near T2, an energy installation near the border with Iraq about 100 km west of the Euphrates.
A U.S. military official denied any knowledge of the strikes. "We have no operational reporting of a U.S.-led coalition strike against pro-Syrian regime targets or forces," Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told Reuters.
Eastern Syria was mostly held by Daesh until last year, when two rival military campaigns swept it from most of its territory, leaving only remnants in remote pockets of the desert.
The campaign by the Syrian army, backed by Russia, Iran and Shiite militias including Hezbollah, operated mostly on the west side of the Euphrates river.(With Agencies)
Zaman Al Wasl
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